All About The Khood Wreck AKA HTMS Kood
First named USS LSM-333, HTMS Kut, also known as the HTMS Kood, stands out as the close wreck diving site to Pattaya, providing thrilling underwater adventures at the Pattaya Near Islands. The Kood was sunk 5 years after her sister ship, HTMS Khram who rest at the Pattaya far islands.
Formerly a US Navy warship from World War II, the Kut/Kood now rests just 40 minutes from Pattaya Beach near the island of Koh Sak. Its accessible location and maximum depth of 30m make it a favorite spot for recreational divers. Explore its main deck, teeming with marine life like Nudibranchs, shrimp, stingrays, scorpion fish, barracuda, and giant puffers.
Safety is paramount when diving the HTMS Kut/Kood, requiring advanced scuba diving certification or perhaps you will dive it during your PADI Advanced Open Water course. Meticulously prepared by the Royal Thai Navy, the wreck ensures a safe and exhilarating diving experience.
Navigate through its upper deck corridors and passages, honing your skills amid spacious areas and direct access to the outside. Similarly, the HTMS Kood offers an immersive experience, sunk to commemorate the late HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s 60th year on the throne.
Explore the intact shipwreck, from the bridge and radio rooms to the engine room and deck passageways. While visibility and currents may pose challenges at times, experienced divers can embark on exhilarating swim-throughs.
Discover the allure of wreck diving in Pattaya as you uncover the secrets of the HTMS Kut/Kood, testaments to history beneath the waves.
Credit & thanks to Alex @Thai-scuba.com for his hard work and dedication to Mapping Thailands Wreck Sites
History:
- Laid Down: July 13, 1944, at Pullman Standard Car Manufacturing Co., Chicago, Ill.
- Launched: Date unknown
- Commissioned: USS LSM-333, Nov. 25, 1944, LT. William Russell Schulhof, USNR in command.
- During World War II: Assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater, participated in the Okinawa Gunto operation from April 28 to May 18, 1945.
- Decommissioned: July 28, 1946
- Struck From the Naval Register: Date unknown
- Transferred: October 1962 to Thailand, renamed HTMS Kood (LSM-1)
- Final Disposition: Struck from the Royal Thai Navy list in 1990, retained for use as spare parts in Royal Thai Navy.
- Decoration: Received one battle star for World War II service
Specifications:
- Displacement: 520 t. (light), 743 t. (landing), 1,095 t. (fully loaded)
- Length: 203′ 6″ o.a.
- Beam: 34′ 6″
- Draft: Light – 3′ 6″ forward, 7′ 8″ aft, fully loaded – 6′ 4″ forward, 8′ 3″ aft
- Speed: 13.2kts (max.) (928 tons displacement)
- Complement: Four officers, 54 enlisted
- Armament: One single bow mounted 40mm gun, four single 20mm gun mounts
- Vehicle/Boat Capacity: Five medium or three heavy tanks, or six LVT’s, or nine DUKW’s
- Troop Accommodations: Two officers, 46 enlisted
- Armor: 10 lb. STS splinter shield to gun mounts, pilot house, and conning station
- Propulsion: Two Fairbanks Morse (model 38D81/8X10, reversible with hydraulic clutch) diesels. Direct drive with 1,440 BHP each @ 720rpm, twin screws
- Endurance: 4,900 miles at 12kts. (928 tons displacement)
Questions About This Wreck
Where is the Kood Wreck?
The HTMS Kood rests just 40 min’s from Pattaya beach shoreline next to Koh Sak and nearby Koh Khrok which are part of the Pattaya Near Islands and this dive site can be accessed by guided dive trips from Pattaya.
How Long To Reach This Dive Site?
Its takes approx 40min to reach by boat and a Kood wreck dive trip is usually combined with 1 or 2 corals dives at Koh Sak or Koh Khrok islands.
When is the Best Time To Dive This Wreck?
High slack tide and low wind days will present the best possible conditions for both diving and boat travel to this wreck dive site.
It is visited more frequently in the high season when the sea conditions are the best making the sail time quickest and smoothest.
im Open Water Level Can I dive this wreck?
The Kood is 30m deep so as an 18m qualified Openwater diver on a guided fun dive, the answer is no. However, on an Advanced open water course or under Deep Adventure training diver conditions with an instructor under this training condition, the answer is yes! Provided you are refreshed and recently dive-ready to take on a deep training dive we can take you to a wreck dive as an open water diver.
What is the Bottom Time on This Wreck?
Bottom time depends partly on your skill level. A typical dive based on no decompression dive times is between 20- 35 minutes. Air supply times can be up to 45-50min on a multi-level dive using nitrox 32.
What aquatic life is common on this wreck?
The kood has accumlated a massive amount of coral grow in just a few year underwater. Now covered in hard and soft coral and encrustations you can discover micro life such as Nudibranchs, seahorses, shrimp, and crabs. Scorpionfish hide everywhere also, whilst around the wreck itself you will usually encounter sea turtles, barracuda, batfish, puffer fish and maybe even Dolphins at certain times of year. Advanced divers on nitrox who can sustain the longer dive times can explore and peer under the ship’s hull at the seabed level where you can see stingrays, flathead fish, bamboo sharks and maybe even giant sting rays or Mabula rays.
